3.23.2009

Last week, Second Novel blossomed. Or, at least, the buds have begun to open. But they're pink and beautiful and smell of hyacinths and honey.

I've waited ages for this moment. The moment my friend Laini calls a "snick" -- when the pieces of the puzzle make that satisfying snap together. My new pages have life. The protagonist took action, strutted off on her own, and surprised me in a way that's perfect. It gives purpose, adds tension, and ties in brilliantly with another major story arc.

Happiness! Bliss! Huzzah!

I LOVE YOU, SECOND NOVEL! MARRY ME!!!

"Marry me!"

But there was one downer. While I was writing these pretty new pages, I missed out on all the fun! The fun related to MY OWN BAND.

That's right. I'm in a band.

We're called The Punktuations, and Kiersten White is the singer/lyricist and my husband, Jarrod, is playing all of the instruments. Which means I am basically just dancing around in the music video.

But!

I could also provide a (weak) left-handed rhythm guitar OR some sweet action on the vibraphone.

I can rock a vibraphone for reals, you guys.

If you don't already read Kiersten's hilarious blog, here is her first post about our band (including lyrics to a Very Clever song about adverbs), and here is a follow-up interview about our first album, HYPErbolic.

Every song on HYPErbolic is destined to be a Top Forty Solid Gold Hit! It features seventeen soon-to-be-classics including: "Born to Run-on," "I'll DIE if You Don't Love Me (The Hyperbole Song)," "Passive Was Our Love," and my personal favorite --

"My Love for You is IN ALL CAPS"

I AM SO DOWN WITH ALL CAPS LOVE

But the thing I love most about our band is that we can change our name depending on our mood. So when we're pumped on adrenaline, we're The Punktuations! And then when we get confused about our next career move, we'll be The Punktuations? And then we'll go emo, and we'll call ourselves The Punktuations...

[Kiersten, darling, you're a genius.]

Soooo, speaking of My Boyfriend Chris Martin, the three of us -- Jarrod, Chris, and I -- were lounging around last night watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern (episode: bird's nest soup with frog ovaries and rooster balls on a stick), when suddenly Chris was like, "You know, that kind of reminds me of the makeup I wore in Shaun of the Dead."

My husband and I froze.

"What?" Chris asked. "Those frog bits. They're all pale and ooky."

Jarrod cleared his throat. "Shaun of the Dead?"

"Yeah, you know." Chris waved a hand around vaguely. "When I had that cameo."

"You were in SHAUN OF THE DEAD?" My eyes bugged. "How could you NOT have mentioned this before?!"

He looked startled. "I thought you knew. You guys watch it every Halloween."

"NO, I DIDN'T KNOW!" I said.

"Dude," Jarrod said. "That's awesome."

"LIKE . . . HOW BIG WAS THE CAMEO??"

"Pretty decent. I had a couple scenes." Chris sat up and stretched his legs, accidentally kicking over the footstool. Then he frowned. "Wait. How could you not know I was in it? They practically interview me in the end!"

I blushed. "I don't believe you."

So he grabbed the DVD, and we popped it in. And guess what you guys? My boyfriend WAS a zombie in Shaun of the Dead! How cool is that?

(The lanky zombie on the right.)

One says ZOMBAID, the other ZOMBAD. Tee hee.

So now I feel terrible. Because, sure, anyone could miss the zombie cameo. But ZOMBAD?

How embarrassing!

(And now I have to make it up to him with extra dish washing and dirty socks cleaning and sugar cookie baking.)

STEPHANIE I AM GOING TO MISS YOUR BLOG SO MUCH. (See what I did there?) Anyhow, I wish you the best of luck with everything and when I get back from my mission, there better be a shiny new novel on the shelves for me to read, ya dig? Oh, and good luck with the whole Chris and Thom thing.

Amazingly, I actually knew about Chris Martin being in "Shaun of the Dead" (and I know nothing about him other than your obsession, I mean relationship, with him). He and Simon Pegg are really good friends (whom I love).

You do rock the vibes all Lionel Hampton-esq with a little bit of Keith Moon thrown in for good measure. Heck yeah!

I love Simon Pegg in a "he's awesomely funny and I'll watch anything that he's in" way, not really in a cute way.

Have you ever watched "Black Books"? It is wickedly funny and I adore Dylan Moran! His character on the show and Rob are so much alike that Rob admitted after watching it that he needs to be nicer to people. Simon Pegg is in one episode as an evil manager at a corporate chain bookstore.

Kiersten -- Thank you! But my inspiration all came from YOUR lyrics. That bit about "Who vs Whom" truly moved me. How do you do it?

Jamey -- Yes, of course! That's how I love him too. (I just always start talking with my hormones. One day, I'll get them in check. But not today.) I like Dylan in Shaun (though is it just me, or does that character remind of you of Sean Lennon??), and I've heard GREAT things about Black Books, but I haven't seen it yet. Will have to Netflix!! Thanks!

Hi, there! I'm Steph, and I wrote ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR, and ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. I also edited the romantic holiday anthology MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME and the upcoming SUMMER DAYS & SUMMER NIGHTS.